Review-- Cthulhutech: Core Book
Imagine a game where you could play Mulder and Scully one session, a team of special forces marines the next, a group of symbiote-wearing monster hunters after that, followed by a group of mecha pilots--oh, and you'd have the choice between traditional mechs, and giant angry monsters barely held in check by the armor grafted to their nervous systems?
Sounds insane? That's because it is, literally-- it's Cthulhutech, by Catalyst Games, and it rocks the house. The cover is Ennie award winning, and it shows, giving you the vibe for the game before you even crack it open. Inside, you're going to be dealing with magic, tentacles, and all kinds of giant robot death.
Now I've got both the pdf and the print copy. There are a couple of print copies out there--those prior to Catalyst games and those by Catalyst games. The Catalyst games versions are all color, and a little more expensive, but let me tell you, it's worth it. The creators did not skimp on the artwork for this book, and it shows. The pieces are done in a couple of different styles, but it all sets the mood well, gives you a very good feel for life in the C-tech future world. The women in the book are often quite "stripperiffic" in their depiction, but it's a conceit I can live with.
The core book has a layout that's becoming more accepted amongst storytelling-based systems; it starts with a short piece of fiction and then presses forward with a section related to the fiction. It's not overdone here, like I've seen in the core books for other games. The fiction is engaging while serving its purpose: setting the tone and foreshadowing the coming material. One thing I don't know if I like very much is the placement of the page numbers-- it's in the middle of outer edge, rather than in the lower corner.
Because this world and system has a lot of breadth and depth, there is a lot of jargon and terminology. The first 10% of the book is spent establishing the setting and getting you familiar with current events.
With that task done-- and more than likely, your curiosity piqued-- the designers dig into the job of teaching the rules for Cthulhutech. C-tech uses a d10 system that will seem familiar to White Wolf or 7th Sea players, but it's intuitive enough that d20 players shouldn't have any trouble taking to it. Everything in the game is accomplished by rolling a pool of d10s (adding a modifier for the appropriate ability) and then attempting to reach a target number. The cool part of this system shines when you're rolling three or more dice. Usually, you'd take the highest number, add it to your attribute and see if you beat the target number for success. However, with two dice, you can add pairs, and with three or more dice, you can sum a straight (like 5, 6, 7, making 18) for your total. Along with this is a mechanic allowing you to add additional dice to your pool, your fellow players' pools, or-- and quite possibly the coolest aspect, take dice away from the enemy's dice pool. This system is pretty elegant runs smoothly once you've got the hang of it.
Character building is a matter of selecting a race and attributes, (Yes, Virginia, even in Earth of the future, you've got options! There's an alien manufactured race which sided with humanity in one of the few bright spots in this otherwise grim future history of the world.) profession, then buying skills and Qualities. Qualities are broken down into Assets and Drawbacks, but you might recognize Qualities as Merits and Flaws, or Advantages and Disadvantages. This system is good for providing the little touches that personalize a character, and also gives a Storyguide the various hooks to tailor material. I like it, and my only real issue is that some powergamers could potentially use it to run roughshod over an inexperienced Gamemaster. These really do run the gambit of possible options, and I found the list to be pretty complete. It's augmented with some additional options in the Vade Mecum book, but you're probably good with what's in here.
With characters created, the book goes on to cover technology-- explaining why things like nanotech don't play a bigger role, or how medicine has advanced. It's useful for the setting, and helps answer questions or create a few story seeds. And then, of course, there's the requisite supply list to give you the guns you'll want when the unspeakable horrors arrive for your characters. ;D
The characters are ready, the guns, skills, and assets chosen, and C-tech gets into the details of its combat system. There are a few interesting quirks here, but nothing overly complex, and it's fairly abstract. You won't be marking out five foot steps in this system, but you can still do things like disarm or make called shots. The rules for handling terrain are there, but they're not essential. The health and vitality system for people scales upwards for mechs, too, making a seamless transition for groups that shift between profession options within the game. Of course, it wouldn't be a game referencing "Cthulhu" if it didn't present rules about insanity and fear-- and there are plenty of opportunities to exercise those rules in this very much for-mature-audiences game. As will most of the system, this portion is comprehensive and clear. The designers did a good job of providing a text with examples and details, which is a real benefit at the table.
The second half of the core book covers mecha, engels-- the giant cthulhuoid monsters in metal shells you can drive like mecha, tagers-- the awful symbiotes from the beyond that grant their partners fantastic powers, spells and then a section for the gamemaster with a limited bestiary and some story ideas-- including two complete scenarios.
Really, you're getting four or more games in one with Cthulhutech, and that's part of what makes it so cool. This isn't just a cult investigation game, an espionage/intrigue game, or a military strikeforce game, or a mecha combat game, its all of those things or just one of them, with enemies that integrate nicely into each option. Cthulhutech is a robust system with a detailed world and an expansive metaplot you can use or cast aside. I totally recommend this game, it's got a lot going for it in a futuristic setting that's close enough to be recognizable, but far enough out to qwell naysayers. If you're looking for a change of pace that just might become your routine, I recommend Cthulhutech!
Disclosure & Thanks: I received the PDFs for the existing CthulhuTech books to date in order to do my review. In no way was my review altered or edited by Catalyst Game Labs or Atomic Array, and if I didn’t think I could give the product a good review you wouldn’t be reading this right now. Thanks also to the fine folks at Atomic Array for providing the opportunity to review a fine product.
Want to learn more about CthulhuTech? Read on...
Sounds insane? That's because it is, literally-- it's Cthulhutech, by Catalyst Games, and it rocks the house. The cover is Ennie award winning, and it shows, giving you the vibe for the game before you even crack it open. Inside, you're going to be dealing with magic, tentacles, and all kinds of giant robot death.
Now I've got both the pdf and the print copy. There are a couple of print copies out there--those prior to Catalyst games and those by Catalyst games. The Catalyst games versions are all color, and a little more expensive, but let me tell you, it's worth it. The creators did not skimp on the artwork for this book, and it shows. The pieces are done in a couple of different styles, but it all sets the mood well, gives you a very good feel for life in the C-tech future world. The women in the book are often quite "stripperiffic" in their depiction, but it's a conceit I can live with.
The core book has a layout that's becoming more accepted amongst storytelling-based systems; it starts with a short piece of fiction and then presses forward with a section related to the fiction. It's not overdone here, like I've seen in the core books for other games. The fiction is engaging while serving its purpose: setting the tone and foreshadowing the coming material. One thing I don't know if I like very much is the placement of the page numbers-- it's in the middle of outer edge, rather than in the lower corner.
Because this world and system has a lot of breadth and depth, there is a lot of jargon and terminology. The first 10% of the book is spent establishing the setting and getting you familiar with current events.
With that task done-- and more than likely, your curiosity piqued-- the designers dig into the job of teaching the rules for Cthulhutech. C-tech uses a d10 system that will seem familiar to White Wolf or 7th Sea players, but it's intuitive enough that d20 players shouldn't have any trouble taking to it. Everything in the game is accomplished by rolling a pool of d10s (adding a modifier for the appropriate ability) and then attempting to reach a target number. The cool part of this system shines when you're rolling three or more dice. Usually, you'd take the highest number, add it to your attribute and see if you beat the target number for success. However, with two dice, you can add pairs, and with three or more dice, you can sum a straight (like 5, 6, 7, making 18) for your total. Along with this is a mechanic allowing you to add additional dice to your pool, your fellow players' pools, or-- and quite possibly the coolest aspect, take dice away from the enemy's dice pool. This system is pretty elegant runs smoothly once you've got the hang of it.
Character building is a matter of selecting a race and attributes, (Yes, Virginia, even in Earth of the future, you've got options! There's an alien manufactured race which sided with humanity in one of the few bright spots in this otherwise grim future history of the world.) profession, then buying skills and Qualities. Qualities are broken down into Assets and Drawbacks, but you might recognize Qualities as Merits and Flaws, or Advantages and Disadvantages. This system is good for providing the little touches that personalize a character, and also gives a Storyguide the various hooks to tailor material. I like it, and my only real issue is that some powergamers could potentially use it to run roughshod over an inexperienced Gamemaster. These really do run the gambit of possible options, and I found the list to be pretty complete. It's augmented with some additional options in the Vade Mecum book, but you're probably good with what's in here.
With characters created, the book goes on to cover technology-- explaining why things like nanotech don't play a bigger role, or how medicine has advanced. It's useful for the setting, and helps answer questions or create a few story seeds. And then, of course, there's the requisite supply list to give you the guns you'll want when the unspeakable horrors arrive for your characters. ;D
The characters are ready, the guns, skills, and assets chosen, and C-tech gets into the details of its combat system. There are a few interesting quirks here, but nothing overly complex, and it's fairly abstract. You won't be marking out five foot steps in this system, but you can still do things like disarm or make called shots. The rules for handling terrain are there, but they're not essential. The health and vitality system for people scales upwards for mechs, too, making a seamless transition for groups that shift between profession options within the game. Of course, it wouldn't be a game referencing "Cthulhu" if it didn't present rules about insanity and fear-- and there are plenty of opportunities to exercise those rules in this very much for-mature-audiences game. As will most of the system, this portion is comprehensive and clear. The designers did a good job of providing a text with examples and details, which is a real benefit at the table.
The second half of the core book covers mecha, engels-- the giant cthulhuoid monsters in metal shells you can drive like mecha, tagers-- the awful symbiotes from the beyond that grant their partners fantastic powers, spells and then a section for the gamemaster with a limited bestiary and some story ideas-- including two complete scenarios.
Really, you're getting four or more games in one with Cthulhutech, and that's part of what makes it so cool. This isn't just a cult investigation game, an espionage/intrigue game, or a military strikeforce game, or a mecha combat game, its all of those things or just one of them, with enemies that integrate nicely into each option. Cthulhutech is a robust system with a detailed world and an expansive metaplot you can use or cast aside. I totally recommend this game, it's got a lot going for it in a futuristic setting that's close enough to be recognizable, but far enough out to qwell naysayers. If you're looking for a change of pace that just might become your routine, I recommend Cthulhutech!
Disclosure & Thanks: I received the PDFs for the existing CthulhuTech books to date in order to do my review. In no way was my review altered or edited by Catalyst Game Labs or Atomic Array, and if I didn’t think I could give the product a good review you wouldn’t be reading this right now. Thanks also to the fine folks at Atomic Array for providing the opportunity to review a fine product.
Want to learn more about CthulhuTech? Read on...
- WildFire: CthulhuTech Quick-Start
Rules - Atomic Array: Episode 013:
CthulhuTech RPG - Mad Brew Labs: CthulhuTech:
The Game That Almost Wasn't - Critical Hits: When
Horror Meets Awesome: CthulhuTech - Kore Dice: Interview
with CthulhuTech’s Mike Vaillancourt - Stargazer's World: Review:
CthulhuTech - Stan!: The
Stars Will Be Right - Arcane Underground: The
Saga of CthulhuTech (Updated) - Atomic Array: Episode 040:
CthulhuTech - Blog of a new RPGer: [Review]
CthulhuTech “Dark Passions” - Stargazer's World: Review:
Damnation View - allgeektout: Review:
Mortal Remains